Identification tag



M. l.. DUSKIN IDENTIFICATION TAG Flled Nov 26 1948llllfllllllllllllllllll!!! Patented Feb. 6, 1,951

i UNITED ASTATES PATENT ,OFFICE l v 2,540,718 i y IDENTIFICATION YTAGMorris L.A Duskin, Evanston, Ill. Application November Z6, 1948, Serial-N`o. 62,036.

This invention-relates to an identification tag and more particularly tosuch a tag which may be conveniently applied to luggage to permit ofready identification thereof. y

Although identification tagsy which have been used heretofore have beenmarked with the owners initials or lwith the name and address of theowner, such procedure has involved the imprinting of adesiredcombination lof a special order which is attended with delay and addedexpense. Y v

It is an object, therefore; of the present in. vention to provide anidentificationy tag which may be readily set up to display any desiredcombination of marking indicia bysimple and inexpensive procedurereadily effected at the time of sale. Y

Itis afurthercbjectof this invention to provide an identification tagwherein marking indicia selectively associated therewith is retainedinsuchassociated relationship by the attachinf'7 It is anothenobject ofthis invention to provide an identi'cation tag of transparent materialhavinga recess therein for` the reception of, selectivelyv arrangeddecorative marking indicia which when" so installed is visible throughone side ofthe tag vandfor'the reception of further identifying datavisible through the other side of thetag.

' Itis also an object of this invention to provide an identication tagwhich is attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive and which maybe readily equipped with desired identifying indicia at any time.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the speciiication and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form)v is shown on the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of an identification tag embodying the principlesof this invention show'- ing the appearance from the rear side of thetag wherein the name and address of the owner may be imprinted.

Fig.' 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the opposite side of the tagwith decorative arrangement of owners initials as viewed through thetransparent cover. l

Fig. 3 is a perspective exploded view showing a preferred form of a tagembodying the principiss of, this invention, the'A manner of insertingidentifying infimaV in the recess therein and 2y showing. the coverwithdrawn from the body'pore tion. of the tag for" that purpose.

Fig. 4 is' an enlarged section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 5l is an elevational view showing a modified form ofinvention'wherein a rotating slide' type" of cover is'provided', thecover in open position being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 6' is an enlarged sectional View on 'the line VLJVI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line VII--VII'of Fig; 5'. l

As shown on the drawings:

The improved' identication tag of this invention is'preferably made.from a transparent plas tic,`the partsof'whicl'i maybe molded to theform show-n. In theA form shown in Figs. l to4, inielusive, a bodyportion IU made of such molded when@ transparent plastic is recessed asat I I` for reception of the identifying 'indicia to be hereinafterdescribed. Each edge-'of the recessed portion I'I is provided'- with 'agrooved track I2 which is adapted to 'slidably receive a beveled edge.Ioi'- a transparent cover lportion III so thatsuchcover portion mayl beAslid inwardly into the body portion Ii along such tracks I2 to close thetop of' the recess Il'. Since the cover portion I4 is alsov Voi"transparentr plastic or similar material it is apparentthatthe'interi'or of; the recess I'I may be viewed therethrough. v'

In order to Vclosev the end oi the recess the cover portion Il'ispreferabl'y provided at its outer end with a boss or projection I5that terminates flush with the end of the body portion when the cover isclosed.

In order to provide detailed identication data, a Vcard I6 havingimprinted thereon the name and address o-f the owner may be positionedin the bottom of the recess I I in such a manner that data imprintedthereon may be viewed through the bottom of the tag as shown in Fig. l.

Decorative identification indicia is provided by the markers I1 whichare preferably of rectangu larv shape and formed of plastic materialbut'. Y

each of which may be imprinted with a different letter. It is apparentthat a dealer can keep a supply of these markers I1 imprinted withvarious letters of the alphabet and with different designs, and that atthe time of the sale of a tag embodying the present invention, anydesired combination of letters may be formed by iny sertion ofappropriate markers in the recess. ver III is closed the initials orother data on these markers `are visible The body member I and the coverI4 are provided with apertures I8 and I9, respectively, which are sopositioned that they are in register when the cover is closed. Anattaching chain may thenbe inserted through these' apertures and thatchain serves two purposes, first, it holds the cover and body member inVpermanent association and secondly, it is used for attaching theassembled tag to a piece of luggage or other artiimprinted on the cardI6 is visible therethrough.

The markers I1 are retained in position and the recess isl covered by acover member 22 which is secured to the body member by a rivet 23 thatalso acts as a pivot about which the cover 22 may be swung. as forexample to the dotted linefY position shown in Fig. 5, to afford accessto the recess in the body member andV to permit of Vinsertion of va;desired combination of markers I1 therein. The cover 22 is oftransparent material, such for example as molded plastic or sheetplastic, to permit viewing the indicia` on the markers Iztherethrough.

Registering apertures are provided in the cover 22 and inthe bodymember2l at-the end thereof opposite the pivot23 and a chain 20a engagedthrough these apertures," as in the previous form, serves to retain theYcover and body -member vin assembled association and asa means forattaching the tagto a piece of luggage or other article to be identifiedthereby, t Y

Itwill `be apparentfrom the foregoing description thatthe identificationtag o f this invention `is susceptible of economical manufacture in thatit may be readily equipped with desired identification data at the timeof sale by the simple expedientv of removing the cover member,insertinga suitably imprinted card I6 and thereafter a suitablearrangement of markers I1, after which the cover member is returned toclosed' position, the chain 20 or 20a inserted through to affix the tagto a piece of luggage in the usual manner.

I 'am aware that various details of construction may be varied Withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention and I, therefore, do

not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise thannecessitated by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

An identification tag comprising a body of molded transparent plastic orthe like, said body having one fiat face and an opposite face definingan open ended elongate recess therein, the edges of the recess beingstepped to define a markerseating lportion and dovetailed guide tracks,a card adapted to have characteristic markings thereon insertable inthemarker-seating portion of the recess, said card being visible throughthe fiat face of the body, a plurality of markers adapted to havecharacters thereon insertable in the marker-seating portion of therecess in abutting relationship to the card, a cover made of molded'transparent plastic o r the like. said cover having bevelled edges formating engagement withsaid dovetailed guide tracks and beingpositionable in the body to abut the markers so as to permitvisibilityof the markers therethrough, a boss dep fined on one end ofthe cover, said boss defining'` fili a configuration to matingly seatwithin the open" end ofthe body recess, said boss terminating flush withthe end 4of the body portion when the:

the tag to an article to be identified.

the registering apertures therein andin the body member to hold the bodyand cover in permanent association. Thereafter, the chain may be usedMORRIS L. DUSKIN,

REFERENCES CITEDV The following references are of record inthe file ofthis'patent: f

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 560,080 Booher May 12, 18962,195,042 Wishinsky Mar. 26, 194.0 2,213,075 Ross Aug. 27, 19402,297,285 Bledsoe Sept. 29, 194:2V 2,361,479

